Illegal political hoardings may go

MUMBAI: Mumbai will be spared of political hoardings that crop up in hundreds at public spaces, if a proposal to be moved by the municipal corporation is approved. Interestingly, it will be the political leadership in the BMC that will decide its fate.

On Tuesday, leaders from all political parties and mayor Shubha Raul, who presides over the general body meeting, agreed to consider and discuss the proposal on the floor of the house. Raul directed the civic administration to table the proposal.

City politicians could take a leaf from their counterparts in Nagpur and Pune, who have already approved the proposal.

Additional municipal commissioner RA Rajeev said that if the proposal is approved, political hoardings/ banners will be allowed to come up only on space earmarked for commercial advertisements. Rajeev claimed that BMC had initiated a baseline survey of hoardings in the city that violate norms and have come up illegally on open spaces, coastal regulatory zones and footpaths.

The Bombay High Court, last week, directed the BMC to conduct a survey and appoint a committee under municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak. “It will be completed in a week and the report will be tabled on March 13,” Rajeev said.

Rajeev informed political leaders that hoardings that violate the newly formulated guidelines have been given time till March 31 to remove them or face action.  New guidelines that regulate the size and the distance separating the hoardings could meet a roadblock if politicians object to the commissioner’s decision to frame the policy without taking the political leadership in confidence.